1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for generating power from the continuous rise and fall of tides. More particularly, the invention involves the generation of power from the flow of water in an airtight duct between two reservoirs as the water in these reservoirs seeks a level of equilibrium.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Devices for utilizing the rise and fall of the tides or utilizing wave action as a means of producing energy are well-known in the prior art. For example, devices have been designed such that wave action or the rise and fall of the tides will actuate rotating or reciprocating devices and thereby impart motion to mechanical systems to perform such functions as lifting water for irrigation. Such devices commonly involve the compression of air within storage tanks or pipes for subsequent use in the production of power. Tidal motion and wave action have also frequently been used to drive electrical generators. For example, reference is made to the April 1978 "Energy From the Ocean" Report of the Subcommitte on Advanced Energy Technologies and Energy Conservation Research, Development and Demonstration of the Committee on Science and Technology for the U.S. House of Representatives which describes potential schemes as well as actual tidal power plants at Rance, France and Kislaya Guba in the Soviet Union.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,039,847 discloses an apparatus designed to harness the energy of tidal currents. Basically, this system involves the placement of movable overflow type turbines in a position where they can be driven by both the incoming flood tides and the outgoing ebb tides.
Other inventions, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,925,986 and 4,103,490, involve the use of tidal chambers wherein the rise and fall of ocean tides is utilized to create either positive air pressure or partial vacuums within said chambers. These forces are then used to operate other power mechanisms.
A problem with all these inventions is the intermittent characteristic of the wave or tidal motion being utilized. The inherently inconsistent action of these natural forces creates a problem in making the harnessed power available as a relatively steady source. The circumstance has been addressed in several ways. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,098,081, the invention discloses the use of a plurality of tidal chambers which are filled in succession during the rising tide and then sequentially emptied during the falling tide, with power being generated as a result of the use of the air pressure and partial vacuums created within the tidal chambers.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,391,903, an apparatus utilizing the siphon principle to urge water in a single direction from a reservoir of a higher level to a reservoir of a lower level is described. As long as the level of water in the first reservoir remains higher than the level in the second reservoir, the flow of water will be continuous, resulting in the availability of a constant flow for driving a turbine. However, in this device the continous flow of water is dependent upon the constant replenishing of water in the first reservoir by the action of waves splashing over its sides. Necessarily, the continuous generation of power from this device is dependent upon sufficient wave action, a condition which is not consistent or controllable.